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(No Model.) f 3 Sheets-Sheet l. H. GENTZEN.

TENT.

.l EN nm w e LIU ATTORNEYS.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. GENTZEN.

TENT

No. 394,262. Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

ATTRNEYS.

WIT/VESSES:

`(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sh t 3.

H. eBNTzBN. ee

TENT

No. 394,262. Patented Deo. 11, 1888.

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

HERMAN GENTZEN, OF FORT RINGGOLD, TEXAS.

TENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,262, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed October l, 1888. Serial No. 286,867. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN GENTZEN, of Fort Ringgold, in the county of Starr and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Tent, of which the followingl is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to tents for the use of soldiers or civilians, and has for its object to provide a simple light inexpensive tent structure which maybe made of any required size, and may be easily and quickly pitched or struck, and will be securely anchored to the ground by the weight of its occupants, and will promote their good health, and will afford them ready exit in emergencies.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts of the tent, all herein-after described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar letters of reference indicate correspondiilg parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of a tent made and pitched in accordance with my invention and partly broken away at the top and partly open at one end. Fig. 2 is a detail end view of the head or peak block by which the pair of poles at each end of the tent are held at their tops andthe end of the ridge-pole secured thereto and a portion of one of the end stay-cords of the tent. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the bed-bottom canvas or fabric and a part of one of its attaching-cords. Fig. 4 is a section al plan view of one of the horizontal side bars and parts of the two end bars, their couplings, and the corner-poles connecting them. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sect-ion of the tent. Fig. ti an outside view of one end of the tent, partly broken away. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view, partly sectional, of one of the peak-blocks and the upper ends of tent-poles to which it is adjusted. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the end pins or stakes and part of the tent stay-cord connected thereto. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one end of the tent ridge-pole. Fig. l0 is an end view of a peak-block, end poles, and canvas of the tent, the latter being in section.

Fig. ll is a plan view of the tent-frame, and

attached bed-bottom fabric, the tent-canvas straps being removed from the pole foot-plates. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the pole footplates and attached straps, the tent-canvas being shown in part in dotted lines. Fig. 13 is a detail vertical sectional view of the frame, foot-plate, canvas, and anchor-straps at one corner of the tent. Fig. il is a view of one of the leather-thong fastenings of the tent door or liap, and Fig. l5 is a perspective view of a fastening-pin used with the thong in closing the tent.

The main frame of the tent' consists, principally, of a pair of downwardly and laterally diverging poles, A A, at each end of the tent, and a horizontal frame of four bars, B B B B', supported on the poles, as presently ex plained, and giving support to a stretched bed-bottom fabric, G. The pairs of poles A A are connected by a peak-block, D, ateach end of the tent, and a ridge-pole, E, may also be used, especially when the tent is for civil ians use; but for soldiers use thc ridge-pole maybe dispensed with. Foot plates or blocks F are also employed at the corners of the tent to hold the tent-poles A and provide for anchoring the tent canvas or fabric G to and over the tent-fra1ne by straps H, held to the footplates. Stakes or pins and stay-cords are also used at the sides and ends of the tent, which is also provided with thong and pin fastenings at its end Hap-doors.

I more particularly describe the tent frame and fixtures as follows:

The four tent-poles A are made alike, and preferably of a niet-al tube or pipe of suitable length, having a short socket-piece, a, of larger pipe shrunk on or otherwise fastened at its lower end. The socket a. is adapted to fit over a laterally-inclined pin, f, which projects upward from the metal corner foot-plate, F, and the top of the socket forms a shoulder, which gives support to eyes b', formed on the outer ends of nut-couplings b, which at their larger parts have interior screw-threads, which are adapted to exterior threads formed on opposite ends of the tubular bars or pipes B B, forming the frame or support for the bed-hottom fabric or canvas C. The two opposite side bars, B B, are shown longer than the two opposite end bars, B B', of the bottom frame, and each of these bars B B is provided with a nut-coupling, b, at each end.

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The two end peak blocks or plates, D, are

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vided with a central upwardly-proj ecting pin, CZ', adapted to enter an eye or groinmet hole in the tent canvas or fabric G. The ridgepole E is a sheet or plate of galvanized metal, which extends the whole length of the tent, and is bent along the center to an angular form corresponding to the inclines of opposite sides of the tent fabric or canvas G. The ridge-pole is cut away at both ends at its top to provide thereat a pair of flanges or lips, c e, which allow the peak-block pins CZ to pass between them, and are to be be bent over inward at the outer faces of the peak-blocks.

d The tent-frame is erected easily and quickly by first setting the pole-sockets CZ onto the footplate pins fand then slipping the eyes b of the bars B B' over the upper ends of the poles anddown until the two eyes of one side bar, B,and one end bar, B', rest on the top shoulder of the socket of each pole and on each other, thus forming a complete horizontal frame of these bars, which has Vsubstantial support upon the sockets a of all four of the tent-poles The two peak-blocks D D will now be adjusted to the end pairs of holes, A A, by setting their pins d CZ therein, and should the ridge-pole not be used thetent-frame now is complete; but should this pole E be employed its endswillbe placed ony top of the peak-blocks, and its end lips, e .e,will then be .bent inward at theouter faces of the blocks, as will be understood from Figf2 of the drawings; Should the'tent be for. civiliansy use, the foot-plates F will now be anchoredor fastened to thef ground by stakes or pins f', and the tent-frame `is ready to receive its canvas .orcovering fabric, G. Y Whenthe tent isV to be usedby soldiers, the vstakes f' are not required. After the frame is erected as above described, and before or after the canvas G is placed upon it, the bedbottoinjcanvasor fabric C will be stretched withinthe horizontalbar frame, and will besecured thereto; and to the tent corner-poles A byseriesofscords c, which have agknot at their inner endstogpre vent their pullingthrough grommet `oreyefleted holes-c' in ,the bottom fabricfand, Aare wound around the-bars andpOlcs and secured .thereto bytwo half-hitches'off the cords. The cornercords are passedV around the corner ,tent-poles,y A, andabove` one side bar, B, and *belowl the adjacent end bar, B', and thus pre.- -vent upward movement or rattling of the eyes Y .of these bars en the tentfpoles. The b ed may .be made on thegbottom fabric C 'either before or after the, canvas G` isstretch'ed-,or placed over-'the tntfframe. tThe tent canvas`G, which is: shaped tor ft onz the tent-iframe, has; worked `or eyeleted 6o Vholes fitting, over or around the Ypeak-block lpins d', and the 'canvasis divided` vertically at each end of the tent nearlyffoits topA to form entrances and exits Yat both'fends. jTo one half of eachend `ofthe tent-canvasgis fixed a flap, g, which when` the -tent is closed laps'ontothe other 'half ofi the; end.Y canvas and isprovided with thongs, whicharento be engaged by pins held to the canvas to fasten the tent closed, as hereinafter more fully explained. All around near its lower edge, or about a foot therefrom, the material of the tent-canvas G is folded on itself verticallyand sewed to form a pendent tuck or doublethick portion, g', to which the canvas-holding straps and cords are attached, as presently described, that part, g2, of the canvas next the ground and below the tuck g' being` left free to allow desired circulation of air to and below the tent.

The drawings, in Figs. ll, l2, and 13 more particularly, show that then tent-pole footplates F are each provided with vertical slots h, ranging in pairs, three pairs of said slots being shown, two pairs of slots, one pair ranging at right angles to the other pair, being necessaryto receive two straps, H-one to engage the side and the other to engage the end of the tent-canvas G at each of its corners. The third pair of slots Zt are provided in the foot-plate to accommodate one of the two straps H should the plate F be shifted to the other side of the tent. The cross bar or partition h' between the vtwo slots h of each pair of slots is cut away at the bottom of the plate, as shown best in Fig. 13 of the drawings, to give room for the bend of the strap H, said strap being passed downward through one of the slots and then upward through the other slot, and the free end of the strap is passed through a retaining-loop, h2, on the strap next its buckle h3. This construction and arrangement protects the strap from being cut or worn by the ground on which the foot-plate rests, and also holds the strap to the foot-plate,

H I-l at each corner of the tent are thus buckled at the foot-plates, the entire canvas will be securely held onto the tent-frame. In very windy or stormy weather I will use auxiliary stay-cords, I, engaging the tent-canvas at its opposite sides, and preferably run through groinnieted holes in the canvas tuck g' and held to stakes or pins J, driven into the ground, as shown in Figs. l and of the drawings.

.i After the canvas G is set over the tentiframe, and more particularly when the ridgepole E is not used, I stay the opposite ends of the tent to the ground by cords K, held to the peak-blocks D and to pins or staples L, driven into' the ground. These pins L (see Fig. 8) are made, preferably, with wooden body por- .tions Z, having a sharp metal point, Z', and a topnoetal ring or ferrule, Z2, provided with an eye,Z3, for attachment of the stay-cord K, which is provided at each end with an eye or loop, Ic. In setting these stays K L one end jof 4the cord will be slipped through the pin- IOO IIO

eye Z3, and the larger part of the cord will then n vbe slipped through the cord-eye Za at the pin, and after the eye la at the other end of the .cordisjslipped over the pin cZ' of the peakblock D of the tent-frame the pin will be set o as far as possible from the end of the tent and driven into the ground, the stay-cord K at each end of the tent being adjusted in like manner. Cords M M, attached at one end to the two parts of the ends of the tent, may be tied at their free ends to adjacent side stakes or pins, J, to hold the ends of the. tent either half open or fully open, as will be understood from Fig. l. of the drawings.

The tent-door fastenings consist of thongs or straps N and metal pins 0, which are shown in detail in Fi it and l5 of the drawings. The thongs N are preferably made of leather and in two or more thicknesses, both slit lengthwise at one end to form series of narrow strips, which, when the two or more layers are laid face to face, are tied together to form a secure knot, n, at the inner end of the thong, the outer end of which is made tapering by scariing off its layers edgewise, and these scarfed ends are then wrapped or whipped around with fine cord or wire n', thus making a durable and easily-entered point to the thong fastener. Between the cord n. and the knot n the thong is provided with a series of holes, n2, which are preferably re-enforced by metal eyelets, and are intended to receive the latch-pins O, which are held to the canvas or fabric G of the tent by cords o. The fast.- ener N may be made of a` single piece of leather slit at one end to form strips, which, when tied, form the knot-retainer for the fastener, and the pointed end yof this single piece or layer may or may not be whipped with cord or wire, as may be preli'erred. These thongand-pin fastenings admit of fastening the tent closed either from the inside or outside of it, and in either case the thong N is passed through a grommeted or eyeleted hole in one flap or part of the end of the ten t until stopped by its knot n,and after the thong is passed through an eyeleted hole, l), in the other iiap or part of the end of the tent the pin O will be passed though one ot' the eyeleted holes n2 of the thong fastener to hold the tent closed. I prefer to use six thong-and-pin fastenings at each end of the tent, the thongs being held to the flap g in horizon tall y-ran ging pairs, and the correspondingpairs of pin-holes P being made in the other half -of the end canvas or fabric of the tent. liig. l of the drawings shows the thongs passed through the flap g from the outside to allow them to be passed inward through the holes l. and be held by pins O at the inside of the tent; but Figs. 5 and G of the drawin show the thongs passed outward through the flap g and outward through the tentholes l to receive the pins at the outside of the tent. lVhether the tcntdoors for them to untie.

fastenings the instant the pins are removed the end flaps of the tent may be parted by pressing on them as the thongs N draw through and out of the holes P, as will readily be understood.

Aside from the advantages of quick and easy pitching and striking of the tent and convenient means for fastening and unfastenin g its doors or end iiaps, and of easy transportation and replacement of any broken part, which the construction of the tent affords, it is manifest that when it is once pitched the tent stands iirmly, and the weight of the occupant or occupants on the bed-bottom fabric C tends to keep it down or anchor it to the ground and prevent its being blown away or disordered by strong winds, and the occupants are supported on the bed clear above the ground, and thus are not so subject to rheumatism, dysentery, or other severe sicknesses entailed by sleeping' on the ground, and freedom from the discomfort of stones, roots, or other ground inequalities is assured to promote sound sleep.

lt is obvious that the pins d d on the peakblocks D may be fixed to the tent-poles A to enter holes in the blocks, and the foot-plates F may have holes receivin pins on the poles instead of having pins entering holes in the poles, these constructions clearly being equiv aient detachable pin-and-socket connections between the foot-plates, peak-blocks, and tentpoles.

The tent-poles A are adapted to form shafts of light carts to be pulled by soldiers or others using the tents when the struck tents are being moved from place to place, at which times the other parts ot' the tent-frame will be stowed away on the carts and the tent-canvas G will form a storni-proof covering for the carts or the goods or accouterments thereon.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The tent-frame constructed with end pairs of downward ly-diverging poles, each having a lower shoulder, combined with a detachable bed-frame supported at said shoulders, substantially as herein set forth.

2. rlhe tent-frame constructed with end pairs of downwardly-diverging poles, each having a lower shoulder, combined with peakblocks engaging the upper ends of the poles by pin-and-socket connections, and a bedframe supported at the lower shoulders of the pole, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The tent-frame constructed with end pairs of downwardly-diverging poles, each having a lower shoulder, combined with a detachable bed-frame supported at said shoulders,an(.l foot-plates engaging the poles by pinand-socket connections and sustaining the tent-frame, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The tent-frame constructed with end pairs of downwardly-diverging poles, each having a lower shoulder, combined with ade IOO IIO

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tachable bed-frame supported at said shoulders, foot-plates engaging the poles by pinand-socket connections, and peak-blocks engagin g the upper ends of the poles by pin-andsocket connections, substantially as herein set forth.

5. The tent-frame constructed with end pairs of downwardly-diverging poles, each having a lower shoulder` and a detachable bed-frame formed of bars having end eyes slipped onto the poles and resting on their shoulders, combined with a bed-bottom fabric held to said bed-frame, substantially as herein set forth.

6. ln a tent, the frame constructed with end pairs of downwardly-diverging poles, each having `a lower shoulder, a horizontal frame of bars having end eyes slipped onto the poles and resting at their shoulders, and peakblocks engaging the upper ends of the poles by pin-and-socket connections, combined with a bed-bottom fabric held to said horizontal frame, substantially as herein set forth.

7. In a tent, the frame constructed with end pairs of downwardly-diverging poles, each having a lower shoulder, foot-plates engaging' the poles bya pin-and-socket connection, a horizontal frame of bars having end eyes slipped onto the poles and resting at their shoulders, and peak-blocks engaging the upper ends of the pairs of poles by a pin-andsocket connection, combined with a bed-bottom fabric held to said horizontal frame, substantially as herein set forth.

8. ln a tent, the combination, with supporting corner-poles having lower shoulders, of a detachable bed-frame made of tubes having end couplings consisting of socket-pieces having eyes at their outer ends, which are slipped onto the poles `and rest at their shoulders, substantially as herein set forth.

9. ln a tent, the combination, with cornerpoles having stop-shoulders or detents and a bed-bottom frame comprising bars having end eyes slipping onto the poles to said shoulders or detents, of the bottom fabric connected to the frame by cords securedv to the end and side bars of the frame and corner-cords passed around the tent-poles above and below each overlapping pair of bottom frame-bars or their eyes, substantially as herein set forth.

10. ln a tent, the combination, with end pairs of downwardly diverging poles and peak-blocks at the tops thereof, of a ridgepole, E, made with end lips, c c, bent over the outer faces of the peak-blocks, substantially as herein set forth.

11. In a tent, the combination, with end pairs of downwardly-diverging frame-poles receiving' the tent cover or canvas, of detachable peak-blocks provided with downwardlyprojecting pins d d, entering the poles, and an upper pin, d', entering the tent-canvas, substantially as herein set forth. A

12. ln a tent, the combination, with the-tentpoles and canvas or cover, of foot-plates supporting them and provided with two pairs of angularly-disposed slots, and stays passed through said slots and connected to the canvas, substantially as herein set forth.

13. ln a tent, the combination, with the tent poles and canvas or cover, of foot-plates supporting them and having pin-and-socket connections with the poles and provided with two pairs of angularly-disposed slots, and stays passed through said slots and connected to the canvas, substantially as herein set forth. l

1-1. In a tent, the combination, with the tent poles and canvas or cover, of foot-plates supporting them and provided with pairs of slots h h, separated by a part, h', cut away at its bottom, and stays passed through said slots and under the part h', said stays being connected to the tent-canvas, substantially as herein set forth.

15. In a tent, the combination, with the tent poles and canvas or cover and foot-plates supporting the poles and provided with paired slots h h, of stays entering the slots and provided with loop h2, holding the stays tothe plates and allowing passage of the free ends of the stays through the tent-canvas to the stay-buckles, substantially as herein set forth.

16. In a tent, the combination, with end pairs of downwardly-diverging poles and the tent-canvas and peak-blocks having direct pin-and-socket connection with the poles and provided with top pin, d', entering the canvas, of end stay-cords, K, engaging at one end the pins d, and ground-stakes L, to which the other ends of the cords are connected, substantially as herein set forth.

17. The combination, with the tent frame and canvas, of door-fastenings consisting of thongs or straps held to one door-flap and provided with holes, and the other door-flap provided with holes to receive the thongs, combined with pins held to the tent-canvas and adapted to the thong-holes, substantially as herein set forth.

18. The combination, with the tent frame and canvas, of a nap-door fastener held at one end to the canvas and consist-ingof a thong or strap slit lengthwise at one end to form narrow strips, which are interlaced to form a knot-detent, and provided also with one or:more holes to receive a latch-pin, substantially as herein'set forth.

19. The combination, with the tent frame and canvas, of a flap-door fastener held at one end to the canvas, and consisting of a thong or strap made in two or more layers of material slit lengthwise to form narrow strips, which are interlaced to make a knot-detent, and provided also with one or more holes to receive a latch-pin, and the other ends of the thong-layers made tapering and whipped with cord or wire, substantially as herein set forth.

HERMAN GENTZEN.

Witnesses:

S. W. MILLER, GEO. M. CHASE.

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